Senator Moran Visits Pfizer in McPherson

By Jolyn Johnston-Myers

July 27, 2016

Kansas U.S. Senator Jerry Moran was just in McPherson this morning visiting with the Pfizer employees and local community leaders. As a former U.S. Representative for the First District, Senator Moran had visited the McPherson community and the pharmaceutical plant several times in years past, but this was his first visit to the facility since Pfizer acquired Hospira last year.

“It was a great visit,” Senator Moran said. “I had been to the plant before when it was owned by Hospira -- I had not been there since Pfizer was there; I wanted Pfizer as a company to know that the elected officials of the Unites States Senate are paying attention to their facilities and employment in Kansas.

“I also chair the appropriations committee that’s responsible for the FDA, the Food and Drug Administration,” he continued. “And so, not only was I there to make certain that Pfizer knows that we’re glad they’re in Kansas and employing Kansans, I was there to make sure that what the FDA does is appropriate and well-done and the taxpayers’ dollars are well-spent.”

Pfizer is a medical industry that acquired Hospira in McPherson in September of 2015 following a merger agreement in February of the same year that was unanimously approved by leadership in both companies.

The pharmaceutical facility has a strong heritage in McPherson that dates back to 1977. As Hospira, it employed approximately 1400 employees and produced generic injectable and biologic medicines using advanced manufacturing technology. Joining Hospira’s expertise with Pfizer’s branded injectables on a global scale was viewed as a way to propel through the field with Pfizer’s market and consumer base, and local employment within the facility continues to grow.

Senator Moran was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2010 and will face D.J. Smith in the Republican primary next Tuesday. The general election will take place November 8.